Area loses 100th military member in Iraq and Afghanistan

Before shovels scraped the last World Trade Center rubble, before Guantanamo held detainees or the IED became the bloodstained signature of the Iraq insurgency, Oregonians began dying at war.

Just four months after Sept. 11, 2001, a crew flying food and water on a moonless night to Marines between Pakistan and Afghanistan, slammed into a mountain. The fireball claimed the first Marines to perish in the Afghanistan war, including 23-year-old Lance Cpl. Bryan Bertrand of Coos Bay.

On Sunday, Sgt. 1st Class Christopher Dale Henderson became the 100th service member with ties to Oregon or southwest Washington to die, by The Oregonian's count.

At least 3,862 members of the U.S. military have died in Iraq, Afghanistan, Kuwait and Pakistan since late 2001, according to the Defense Department.